So a new horse at my barn was suspected for rhinovirus so she was under quarentine (sp?). Well on either Friday or Saturday she died. I'm thinking it was Saturday because the body was still there on Sunday (the smell was horrible). Anyway, we should find out if the barn is under quarentine (Sp?) today because the bloodwork should come in so we will know whether (sp?) or not it was rhino.
If it is that means I can't go to the horse show . Anyway, I was wondering what the symptoms are of rhino and if there is any way to prevent it (i don't think he was vaccinated).

Not only does the nasal discharge diminish a horse's lovability, but other horse owners also may regard your horse as the dreaded leper of the barn. You may even be ostracized for so callously exposing the other horses to such an ugly fate.

Most causes of upper respiratory disease are not life threatening, but cause severe anxiety and may predispose horses to life-threatening conditions.

The two most frequent diseases are equine influenza and equine herpes virus (EHV) infection, also known as rhinopneumonitis. (See page 19.)

Most horse owners call an upper respiratory outbreak the flu, and the clinical signs of influenza and EHV are indistinguishable. Both make the horse very sick, and although a horse almost always recovers fully, the duration of the disease can be prolonged if misdiagnosed.

Like EHV, equine influenza is a viral disease. The clinical signs seen with both diseases are fever, lethargy, nasal discharge, coughing and loss of appetite.

Secondary to these signs, the patient can become dehydrated and even suffer signs of abdominal discomfort or colic.

As all horse owners will agree, the equine loss of appetite is often more than a cause of casual concern. A horse that doesn't eat doesn't drink. A horse that doesn't drink doesn't urinate or defecate. A horse that doesn't urinate or defecate dies.

So, although influenza or rhinopneumonitis are not considered life- threatening, death may occur if the clinical signs become severe enough.

A large percentage of horses are vaccinated against equine influenza, but not against rhinopneumonitis. When surveyed, horse owners vaccinate most against eastern and western encephalitis, tetanus and influenza with the four-way vaccine.

Unfortunately, this popular combination vaccine fails to protect the horse from rhinopneumonitis, an upper respiratory disease that may be as common as -- and indistinguishable from -- influenza.

The immunity derived from vaccination for influenza or rhinopneumonitis is short-lived; therefore, in many horses, annual revaccination is inadequate. A booster vaccination against influenza and rhino should be given to extend immunity for these diseases.

For many horses, an appropriate vaccination regimen would be a three-way combination containing eastern and western encephalitis and tetanus given in conjunction with a flu-rhino combination. That way the flu-rhino could be given every few months for horses under competitive stress or frequent disease exposure.

Ok, the type of rhino (actually Equine Herpes Virus) that would lead to death would be neurological disease--that lovely mutation that has caused so many big barns to be quarantined in the last few years. You may see respiratory symptoms a couple of weeks before the onset of neurological symptoms, but you may not.

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